Would love to discuss what everyone thinks makes a book deserve 5 stars

[Carol]

The Bone People

The Sea

Black Swan Green

War and Peace

Les Misérables

Doctor Zhivago

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

To name a few.

[Beth]

J. wrote: "A few of my ☆☆☆☆☆ books:






A Prayer for Owen Meany makes my list, too.


[bookcover:A Prayer for Owen Meany|..."

Also, The Razor's Edge
Empire Falls
The Sun Also Rises

[Anthony]

A book merits five stars if it speaks eloquently of something worth remembering.

[Elaine]

i try to give it 5stars ,but,it depends on authors so maybe i will finish bk. and know not to read this person again or put away and try to like and in meantime read a mystery

[Susan from MD]

Michael wrote: "The circumstance of life of at the time of reading seem to force itself on my grading curve. I can not seem to separate the two. Also as time goes on what was once a 5 stars may no longer be, I am..."

I agree, too. For me, it's rather freeing to give a 5 knowing that at some point, with a re-read, I can adjust. Similarly, I raise a grade if I feel I was too harsh or if I better understand the book and its characters. I don't really worry too much about how many 5s I give out - if I really loved the book and it took me someplace new, that's all I'm looking for. If I was a professional reviewer, that would be different because my rating would have more influence.

If a book is 1 star - I don't finish it and don't post a rating. I sort of start out reading assuming it will be a 3 star book - it drops if it is not an engaging read; it increases if I really enjoy/love it.

A lot of the books I'm reading these days are getting 4, 4.5 or 5 star ratings because I'm reading (or re-reading) some classics that are just wonderful.

[Kylie]

Anthony wrote: "A book merits five stars if it speaks eloquently of something worth remembering."

Simply put, but I like it! :)

For me, I tend to give five stars to books that are worth reading again and again. If it is well-written, has solid characters, and is enjoyable with no re-readability, I tend to give it 4 stars.

[Maria]

To Kill a Mocking Bird and The Book Seller of Kabul would definitely make my 5 star list.

[Shawn]

Aisha you said it exactly. I read The Namesake years ago and the characters are still in my head.

[Greer]

For me the 5 star books are usually the ones that address important questions/ideas about the human condition, or that are near-perfectly crafted in terms of writing, plot and characterization, or both.

For example, Atonement was a bit slow-moving for me, but really hit me between the eyes with the themes it explored. I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after reading it.

Stephen King's The Gunslinger was like a perfectly polished diamond -- I can't think of one word I'd take out, or anything that needed to be added. Right from the opening line it hooked me.

With a five star book, I have to resist the urge to reread it as soon as I get to the end, and I continue to think about it long after I've finished it.

[Michael]

A few of my 5 stars. I wonder if after several years will they still be there?
To Kill a Mockingbird

One Hundred Years of Solitude

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay